Adjustable wrench



G. D. LEECHMAN.

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1921.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

GEORGE DOUGLAS LEEGHMAN, 0E LoEDoN, EN LAND,

' An UsrA LE 'w ENoH.

I Application filed March 22,

To all whom 2'2? may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE DOUGLAS LEEOHMAN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Lamb Building, Temple, LondomE. C. 4, England, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Wrench, of

vwhich the following is a specification. Adjustable wrenches commonly have three defects z-first, they have a milled nut adjustment affording an inadequate grip; second, the adjustment is verygapt. to slack back and third, the jaws are liable togape owing to the design failing to provide means for compensating for loose fitting of the parts of the wrench; My invention has for one object to overcome the above defects;

another object is to provide a wide range of jaw opening in a single instrument. And my invention consists essentially in an-adjustable wrench comprising two longitudinal members of similar form andsize which cross. each other, which have one or both the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure I, is an elevation and Figure II is an edge view of a wrench constructed'ac cording to my invention. 7 I

Figure III, is an edge View and Figure IV is an end View, showing a modified construction. r

Figure V is a transverse section on the line indicated by the arrows in Figure III. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in all the figures. I I Referring to Figures I and 11,1 take two steelstrips l and '2 of the form shown, the ends 3, 4 and 5, 6 of eachstrip being off-Set relatively to one another. The intermediate parts7, 8 of the two strips are inclined rela Y tively to the end parts and are also bentout of the plane of the said end parts, so that when the two strips are placed in position crossing one another, the said intermediate parts 7 and 8 will'clear one another, While all the end parts 3, 4, 5 and 6 lie in the same plane. The opposing edges 9, 10 and 11,

Specification of Letters Patent. y Pat llte d Apr. 18 1922.

1921; Serial No. 454,355.

112 of the end'partsof the strips normally lie parallel to one another and form the faces, of, the jaws of the wrench.

1PATEN'r orricnp 5 Given the strips in the positions indi-' cated in F igureI, it will be obvious that by moving the said strips laterally relatively to one another, the opening of one pair of aws will be increased while the opening of the other pair will be correspondingly decreased; and further, by suitably recessing onev pair of jaws, say 11, 12, the minimum opening of this pair may be made to equal or nearly equal the maximum opening of the other pair 9, 10, thus affording a large total 1 range of opening in theone instrument. If it be not desired that the wrench shall be capable of closing tozero, then both pairs of aws may be recessed, the recessing being so proportioned that one pair ofjaws will close i to the desired minimum, and the opening of the other pair being modified accordingly.

The lateral movements of the strips may be conveniently effected with the aid of two screw-threaded bolts 13, 14 and nuts 15, 16

a's shewn. The head ends'of the bolts may be secured in the respective stripsby pins or rivets 17. The bolts and nuts are adapted to adjustably limit the opening of the respective pairs of jaws. The bolts-and bolt holes are proportioned freely so that the parts of the wrench can adapt themselves to irregular handling and to the gripping action hereinafter referred to; but broadly,

in adjusting the wrenchjone nut, say l5, should be screwed back so that the corre -spond1ng JaWS 9, 10 may open befOrescreWJ- ing up the other nut 16' to close itspair of jaws 11, 12 on to the object to be operated on.

- The opening of the jaws may beassisted by any suitable springs pressing outwards against the strips, such as the spiral springs 18, which are for convenience threaded on to the bolts 13, 14 and are letinto the bolt holes which are oounterbored to receive them as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1;

In use, the wrench is appliedand adjusted to the nut or other object to be operated upon by manipulating the nuts 15 andlti as above-indicated, the largeor the small pair of jaws being employed according to the size of the object. After the )air of jaws is primarily adjusted to'the o ject therein by the bolt and nut adjacent thereto,'a fur,- ther grip is obtained by slightly tightening the nut at the other end of the wrench; this is built up of two similar parts 1, l? and 2, V 2 pressed out of sheet metal and connected riveting orother suitable means. This construction is advantageous in reducing the extent to which the members needbe bent in order to cross each other, in reducing the machining incidental 1 to the fitting of the bolts and springs, and in facilitating the provision of fortified or hardened jaw pieces, such as, 19, 20. I

I'- desired, one or both pairs of jaws may be somewhat inclined to the. centre line of the wrench.

I claim:

l. Inan adjustable wrench, the combina tion oer-"two longitudinal members of similar form and size which cross each other, jaws at one pair ofiends of the said members, and means applied at points on both sides or" the point ofcrossin-g for moving the said members laterally relativelyto one another.

2 In an adjustable wrench, the combination oftwo longitudinal members of similar formfan d size which cross each other, jaws at b'othpairs. of ends of the said members, andim eans applied at points on both sides of the point of crossing for moving the said members laterally relatively to one another.

3. In an adjustable wrench, the combination of two-longitudinal members of simi lar form and size which cross each other, jawsat, one pair of ends of the said members, andmeans applied at; points on both sidesvofthe point of crossing for moving the said nembers laterally and, angularly relatively to one another. 7

. 4t. anadgjustable wrench, the combinationof two, longitudinal members of similar form and-size which cross each other,

jawsat bothzpairs ofends of the said members, and r means applied at points on both sides oithe' point of crossing for moving the said members laterally and angularly relatively to one another.

5,. In an adjustable wrench, the combination of two longitudinal members of similar form and size which cross each other, jaws at one, pair of ends ofthe said members, and means. applied at points on both sides of the point of crossing for moving the said members, the means on one side of the point of crossing being independent of the means on I the other side of the point of crossing.

'6, In an adjustable wrench, the combination of two longitudinal members of similar form and Sl /)9, which cross each other,

jaws at both pairs of ends of the said members, and vmeans applied at points on both "sides of the point of crossing for moving the said members, the means on one side of the point of crossing being independent of the m ans on the other side of the point of crossing."

'Z. In an adjustable wrench, the combina tion or two longitudinal members which cross each other, 'jaws at one pair of ends of the said members, and, on each side of the point of crossing, a screw-threaded bolt applied to one memberand-a nut applied to the bolt and adapted to operate on the other member.-

8. In an adjustable wrench, the combination of two longitudinal memberswhich cross each other, jaws at both pairs of ends of the said members, and, on each side of the point of crossing, a screw-threaded bolt applied to one member and a nut applied to the bolt and adapted to operate on the other member. 1.

9. In an adjustable wrench, the combination of two longitudinal members which cross each other, jaws at one pair of ends of the said members, means applied at points on both sides of the point ofcrossing for moving the said members laterally relatively to one another, the means on one Side of the point of crossing being independent of the means on the other side of the point of crossing, and means for assisting the'openingof the pairs of ends of the said members. V 1

10. In an adjustable wrench, the combination of two longitudinal members which cross each other, jaws atbot-h pairs ofends of the said members, means applied at points on both sides of the point of crossingfor moving the said members laterally relatively to vone another, thermeans on one sidelof thepoint of crossing being independent, of the means on the other side, or" the point of crossing, and means for assisting the opening-of the pairs of ends of the said members. v

1-1. In an adjustable wrench, thecombination of two longitudinal members, which cross each other, jaws at one pairot ends of the said members, means applied atvpoints on bothsides of the point of crossing for I moving the said members laterally relatively to one another, the means on one side of the side of the point of crossing being independent of the means on the other side of the point of crossing, and spiral compres-r sion springs interposed between the said 5 members.

13. In an adjustable Wrench, the combination of two longitudinal members of similar form and size which cross each other, recessed jaws at one pair of ends of the said members, and means applied at points on both sides of the points of crossing for moving the said members laterally relativel to one another.

G QRGE DOUGLAS LEECHMAN. 

